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April 27, 2016

"This may be hard to believe, coming from a black man, but I've never stolen anything. Never cheated on my taxes or at cards. Never snuck into the movies or failed to give back the extra change to a drugstore cashier indifferent to the ways of mercantilism and minimum-wage expectations. But here I am..." ~ pg. 5

Paul Beatty, dubbed a comic genius, tells the story of a young man raised by a single father. His father's pioneering work was assumed to have resulted in a memoir that would solve financial woes. At least that was the main character's impression until his father was shot and killed by police. Then he realizes there never was a memoir and his hometown of Dickens, California has literally been removed from the map. Unlike Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth, or a small sub-Saharan African nation like Detroit. It becomes the young man's mission to use unorthodox ways to put Dickens back on the map through the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

"And by race we mean 'niggers,' because no one of any persuasion seems to have any difficulty talking out-of-pocket shit about Native Americans, Latinos, Asians, and America's newest race, the Celebrity." ~ pg. 245

At times a biting satire, Paul Beatty did not hold back thoughts or mince words. To read his insight on race in America, the treatment of black men, civil rights and challenging the United States Constitution in a comical way was a different reading experience for me. And I liked it except there were more than enough needless rants that was a distraction to the outrageous idea of reinstating slavery and segregation of schools. Yes, you read that right. So I struggled to hold my interest long enough to finish the satirical novel. Curious enough to go read The Sellout now?

If you broke Elena's heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she camps outside of the local cinema to see the new movie, she expects a long line wrapped around the corner, fans in costumes and celebrating. Instead she is the third, and last, person in line. How disappointing. Where are all the Star Wars fans?

Kindred Spirits is a cute eShort story that Star Wars/Rainbow Rowell fans will like. It is perfect for readathons!

April 26, 2016

Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan writes Food: A Love Story with his thoughts of all things culinary.Food: A Love Story has over 12,000+ positive ratings. I had high expectations when I first added this book to my TBR over a year ago. April was the perfect month to read this book outside of my comfort zone. As sarcastic as I am, there are not many satirical novels in my library.

Was it worth the read? Sure. As the title states, it really is a love story about food. What's not to like about that? But toward the end, I started to lose interest. Enough already about bacon, Cinnabons, Hot Pockets, coconut water and kale. I am sure Gaffigan's love story about food translates better in a stand-up comedy routine.

April 21, 2016

A three-year-old brown girl is over-the-moon excited to enter a movie theatre. It is her first time ever seeing a movie on the big screen. The smell of popcorn overwhelms the air. Her parents hold her hands, one on each side, as they walk to their seats. Strangers compliment the parents on how well-behaved the little girl is and how pretty she looks. The little girl smiles and settles into her seat. She smooths the lace on her custom-made Gabby's Originals purple dress and matching hair bow sewn by her mom. The theatre goes dark as the opening scene of Purple Rain begins. The little girl is introduced to "The Kid."

For months afterward, this little girl will sing songs from Purple Rain to anyone who will listen. She will re-enact scenes and the hand movements to I Would Die 4 U in the mirror repeatedly. It doesn't matter where she is or who is around. She just wants to share the feeling of good music.

That little girl was me. I have been jamming to Prince for over 30 years. My all-time-favorite song to infinity is by Prince. Purple Rain is still one of my favorite movies. I am blessed to have seen him in concert, back when he still performed the more racy songs in his catalog and gyrated on stage with his signature purple guitar, mic and piano. To hear and see The Great Purple One live was an experience. He was skilled in songwriting and played all 27 instruments on his first few albums. He created the pop-funk genre. He was an advocate for artists' rights. Musical and style innovation to the nth degree. He was a prime example of individuality. He could give a mean side-eye and a genuine smile the next minute. Listen...Prodigy Prince had ALL the talents.

To call Prince a music icon is an understatement. His music leaves quite the impression. If I am feeling a strong emotion—be it ecstatic, erotic, in mourning, upset, triumphant, relaxed, melancholy, in bliss, nonchalant or indifferent—there is always a Prince song to match my mood. Make me happy when I'm sad; make me good when I am bad. That is the art of a musical genius.

Some say laughter is the best medicine. I say music heals. So thank you, Prince Rogers Nelson, for being the soundtrack to so many days of my life.

April 20, 2016

I trust any book that Chickadee recommends we read, without so much as a glance at the description. So when she asked if I planned to read Shaka Senghor's book, I did not hesitate to add Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison to my TBR. Plus how often do you see a cover featuring a black man with locs holding a young black boy's hand walking down a street? I had to read the content! My interest grew after watching the well-spoken writer on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday and learning he is from my hometown city.

"But to get there, I would first have to go through Michigan's version of hell on earth." ~ pg. 187

Shaka Senghor was raised in Detroit. Like any young boy, he had dreams but they soon unraveled after his parents' marriage ended and physical abuse from his mother worsened. At 14 years old, he ran away and started dealing drugs to survive. By 19 years old, he was in prison for second-degree murder. Senghor's story is told in alternating chapters between his youth and years of incarceration (seven of which were spent in solitary confinement). The familiar streets of East Detroit and Michigan counties play a large part as if they are characters.

Senghor is brutally honest about his childhood, adolescence and life as an imprisoned man acknowledging his wrongs. Mincing no words, he tells how people act and think in environments surrounded by drugs and violence. There were many moments where I put the book down and asked myself if shit like this really happens. No, this is not a hood tale or a glorification of the street life. Nor is it an ex-prisoner-found-Jesus type of book. There are no light-hearted funny Piper and Crazy Eyes type of chapters. And yes, you may read the last page with a different perspective on convicted criminals and mass incarceration; I certainly did. Writing My Wrongs goes beyond prison cells and tells an unforgettable, well-structured story about Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison."Each day in the hole was a test of my will to survive, as the insanity continued to unfold around me, but the act of writing about the things I saw helped to take away their power."~ pg. 195
The praises for Writing My Wrongs are no exaggeration. Van Jones believes it is already taking place alongside Malcolm X's memoir. Baratunde Thurston says, "his determination to move from community liability to asset reminds us that no life should be written off." I agree; there is no way anyone can read the perfectly-titled Writing My Wrongs and not walk away with something valuable.

I opened this book on a Friday afternoon to post the first lines on my bookish meme and didn't stop reading until my eyes grew heavy into the evening. I literally took one bathroom break and another to refill my tea. It drew me in from the Prologue and demanded my attention until I finally finished on a Sunday night. I read way too many books to remember every plot detail and character name. What I do remember is how a book affected me. Those are the books that I reserve five hearts ratings for.

Writing My Wrongs is highly recommended for young men. I urge my bookhearts—especially those who are mothers of sons—to read it. Mentors may use this book as a topic of discussion about redemption and excessive punishment. Gift it to loved ones who may be incarcerated as a sign of hope and written testimony. I suggest my bookhearts that are professional educators to introduce Senghor's autobiography to students. Read the lessons within its pages and pass it on.

April 19, 2016

"Everyone who heard us sing in this echo chamber called us Blackbirds." ~ pg. 69

Kwanzaa Brown, Indigo Abdulrahaman, Destiny Jones, and Erica Stockwell are four best friends with a strong sisterhood bond. They will hop on their CBRs and drive to the ends of the earth for one another. Every woman is going through her own romantic and personal drama. Kwanzaa has a one-night stand with a man who is truly one in five million. Indigo struggles with an on-again-off-again relationship with an athlete. Destiny is hiding her past and readjusting to a normal life with a boyfriend. And Erica is a divorcee in remission from cancer trying to keep her crush a secret. Whew! But one thing that is constant in these women's lives is their friendship.

My bookhearts know there are a handful of authors that I am loyal to. I will read any novel written by Eric Jerome Dickey immediately upon its availability, without passing go, without collecting $200. I am rarely—if ever—disappointed. I rate most EJD books a well-deserved 4.5 or 5 hearts. But even a devoted fan can admit when their fave didn't deliver.

"We are way past that 'amends' bullshit and you know that." ~ pg. 92

A few EJD novels ago, I noticed his writing changed. It took on a darker erotic tone. And I abso-fuckin-lutely love it! Yet, sometimes I wished he would revisit his old style of writing. You know the cliché. I should have been careful what I wished for because The Blackbirds is very much like his earlier novels. It is about the life experiences of four very different but close friends (that readers will recognize from earlier books). The women are more like sisters than BFFs. As usual, the author writes from a woman's perspective without flaw. Though it was hard to get lost in their fictional roller-coaster world with sometimes choppy dialogue and scenes not transitioning smoothly.

Don't be mistaken—The Blackbirds is a recommended read for the EJD fans who truly miss the old days of Sister Sister, Liar's Game and Between Lovers. Yes, reading about best friends was cool but I miss the drifters. I miss that edge I have grown to love. That suspense that keeps me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. That erotica that makes me want to put on a LBD and FMPs for baé. The Blackbirds is like that glass of sweet sun tea you've been waiting all season for. Then you taste the first sip and it's just...okay. The Blackbirds is definitely not my favorite nor is it the best he has written.

Happy Pub Day, Eric Jerome Dickey! The Blackbirds is available today.Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

April 17, 2016

(Finnegan Brothers #1)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

Read an installment of a series.

Share your review/recommendation below.

Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Misconception, the first book in the Finnegan Brothers series by Morgan Black. Lena knows the Finnegan brothers are capable of hurting any woman that comes between them. So when things get too hot, Lena leaves town. Her father's wedding brings her back to town a few years later and she cannot avoid the Finnegan brothers.

Misconception caught my eye with the erotic cover and description. How could I not try it? Well, this wasn't a book. It was a damn outline! There was no plot; simply ideas in paragraph format thrown together. It did not flow. The characters were not developed. I really am confused why this was published; it would have been acceptable for a free teaser to a full complete series and not as a first installment of a series.

I will not rant about my feelings toward authors that exploit readers by publishing incomplete eBooks to stretch out a series. But Misconception is ridiculously short at 46 pages and nann complete plot point. I have no interest in the remainder of this series.

April 15, 2016

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

Grab your current read(s).

Share the first line(s).

Include the title and author.

"White noise is magic, right up there with tinfoil and Bluetooth and Nespresso pods. White noise makes the sounds of the city disappear. The horns, garbage trucks, and sirens all vanish with the touch of an app on my iPhone."

April 14, 2016

"You don't realize, until you have no memories at all, that you are a product of them." ~ pg. 263

Lose your keys? Think of the last place you set them. Lose your glasses? Think of the last time you wore them. Lose your mind? Well, what's the last thing you remember? It seems easy enough but if you've ever lost anything, you know it's not that simple. Because if you remembered, it wouldn't be lost, right? And if you didn't need your keys or glasses at the moment, you wouldn't even realize they were lost. So this title seems perfect to me!

Sarah is in a locked-in coma. She can hear everyone around her but cannot make any movements or sounds. All she can do is think. By overhearing conversations from parents, friends and a possible assailant, she tries to piece together what led to her being in a hospital bed locked in her own thoughts.

Perhaps I have read one too many books with characters in a coma. Or perhaps the author could have expanded this story to make it more unique and less usual. The premise of The Last Thing I Remember has been written before. I was hoping this debut author added her own clever spin. Hmmm, not quite.

The ending was OMG—as in OMG this is it?! Saying the book ended abruptly is an understatement. I question whether my advanced copy is complete because there is no way a book ends like this on purpose. If so, then I am really justified in my review that this book was just okay and could've had a better twist.

Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.
Title: The Last Thing I Remember
Author: Deborah Bee
Published: February 2016
Pages: 294
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♡

April 13, 2016

"Everyone's always on the hunt for a mirror. It's basic psychology. You want to see yourself reflected in others."~ pg. 181

The Nest is about four adult siblings and the fate of their eventual inheritance. Sure every family has their problems but the Plumb family is downright dysfunctional. Melody, Beatrice and Jack confront their reckless older brother Leo. Only months away from receiving the funds, they discover "the nest" was used to support Leo in rehab.

They all counted on "the nest" to solve self-inflicted financial issues. Melody has a high mortgage and two looming college tuitions. Beatrice has to finish an overdue novel. Jack secretly borrowed against his beach cottage. And Leo lost everything, including his wife and home, when he checked into rehab. Will money break this family apart?

"Read these pages and tell me they're good and let me have them and bear my fucking joy." ~ pg. 151

Ummm no. Have you ever finished reading a book and wondered what all the hype was? Why it was featured in magazines? Why more than a couple of Goodreads friends added to their Want to Read shelf? Am I reading the same novel as everyone else?! I really wanted to like The Nest. Unfortunately it was blah. I struggled through only to see if it got better and less predictable. It didn't.

"I figured that just about everybody and their mamas would be shouting, 'Hosanna, Hosanna' inside of church walls instead of out here, gazing up at the sky with different shades of color that looked as if a painter had perfectly sketched it." ~ 62%

Once Upon a Sunday is a short story that takes place during Easter weekend. It begins on a Good Friday with not so good news; Melinda is let go from her job. She was once a stylish, outgoing and put together lady but now she isn't a pleasure to be around. Burdened and embarrassed, she decides to wait until Easter Sunday to tell her mom the bad news. Eventually, Melinda tries to find her way back to the Lord.

I usually don't read Christian fiction but this was a short story with a good message. It was a literary reminder of all He has done for us.

April 12, 2016

I was first introduced to author Tarryn Fisher when I read the Never Never trilogy she co-authored. She welcomes stalking, so I checked out her other books and noticed all had thousands of positive ratings. Clearly I have been under my mystery genre rock and missing out. F*ck Love stood out with its beautiful cover of red roses crushed by black manicured nails so I chose to read it next.

Fans of Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed/Something Blue, Judy Blume's Summer Sisters and Alice Clayton's Wallbanger will really like F*ck Love.Falling in love with your best friend's boyfriend, main character with a snarky voice and chick lit worth reading on a nice spring day.

"I had a dream that made me take a closer look at a guy I was otherwise ignoring." ~ pg. 161

Helena has fallen in love with her dream man, literally. Too bad he is dating her best friend. Helena tries to do the right thing and consider others until her dreams get in the way of her reality.

We've all been there having a dream stuck in our mind for days. But to not shake it? To want the dream to be so real that you change your life to match the dream? Seems a bit extra. I am not a big romance reader but to flip the script like this and say f*ck love, f*ck everybody in love and f*ck plans...I am here for it.

"How can words like that not exercise your heart?" ~ pg. 151

Tarryn Fisher is no fluke. I love her writing style. I felt like the main character in F*ck Love was one of my good friends calling me up with a "Girl, let me tell you..." story. No lengthy descriptions. No extra words to stretch the book and make it longer. No unnecessary chapters. This author understands that simple is more!

April 10, 2016

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

Read an installment of a series.

Share your review/recommendation below.

Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is a new reading revolution introduced by bestselling author James Patterson. BookShots are original mystery, romance and nonfiction tiny books. Unlike the usual 400-page books in Patterson's series, BookShots will be under 150 pages and under $5.

It is a brilliant way to get people to read more. Shorter books; shorter time needed to read them. Cheaper books; more sales. This style of reading is ideal for busy folks. With BookShots, there is no excuse for people who claim to not have time to read. Seriously, everyone can make time for one sitting. According to The New York Times article, James Patterson wants to "sell books to people who have abandoned reading for television, video games, movies and social media."

BookShots are perfect for my Keeping Up with Patterson reading challenge. As if Patterson wasn't already cranking out books like car parts in a Detroit Chrysler plant, he plans to release 2-4 BookShots a month. A possible 24+ new releases in 2016!

Check back on my Series Sunday meme in early June where I will review the first BookShot to be released: Cross Kill (priced $4.99 for paperback, $3.99 for NOOK or Kindle). Visit www.bookshots.com for more deets.

April 8, 2016

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Revision. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

Grab your current read(s).

Share the first line(s).

Include the title and author.

"On July 1, 2012, the MIT Media Lab announced that we would be creating an Innovators Guild—a team of scholars, executives, and designers that would go to communities around the world using the power of innovation to help people. Our first focus was Detroit.""I stared at the mirror, watching the tears roll slowly down my face, each drop carrying the pain of my childhood."

April 7, 2016

Books like Upstate are the reason I started the First Lines Friday meme. The first impression of a novel is the first line. And so begins Upstate with a shocking question. This story with a message for young adults—and grown ass people TBH—is told through letters between 17-year-old Antonio and his 16-year-old girlfriend Natasha. The setting is 1990s in Harlem, New York.

Their young love is put to the test when Antonio gets sent to upstate prison for a startling crime. He fights to stay alive on the inside while Natasha makes moves on the outside. Their actions are told through correspondence over the course of a decade. Much like real life, Antonio and Natasha's lives take unexpected turns leaving them wondering if, when and how they will ever be together again.

Upstate is one of the most heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, lump-in-throat novels I have ever read. Sapphire, the author of Push, says Upstate is "told using the epistolary form with brilliant skill not seen since The Color Purple." Author Mary Monroe was "thoroughly impressed." The beloved deceased author E. Lynn Harris called Upstate "a literary gem." What more can I possibly say?

I love raw coming-of-age stories with a message. Done right, they are unforgettably profound. Upstate is my first book read by author Kalisha Buckhanon. Her writing has a purpose for readers of the new generation. In her debut novel, she masters the art of making readers feel every emotion a character feels: love, happiness, anger, desperation and hope. I was questioning whether Upstate was really fiction by the end. It was told THAT well.

April 6, 2016

"If it were my decision, I'd make straight for the auditorium to convince myself this is a joke we happened to be on the wrong side of—convince myself this is a normal Monday morning." ~ pg. 46 Tomas

Told over the span of 55 minutes from four different perspectives and social media posts, is the story of a school shooting. Everyone fears the boy with the gun looking for revenge. For the students at Opportunity High School, it is about survival from 10:00 a.m. when the principal ends her new semester welcome speech to 10:03 a.m. when the doors of the auditorium are locked to 10:05 a.m. when someone starts shooting until 10:55 a.m.

"I know the difference between a microphone and a starting gun and a semiautomatic. I've seen death." ~ pg. 83 Claire

I sat down trying to write this review three times. This should be the charm, right? Yet I have the same speechless feeling and blank look on my face as when I read the last words of this novel. And it's been more than a couple weeks since I finished reading it. I can't even find the right reaction gif.

"Instead, she's reduced to an example, a statistic." ~ pg. 109 Autumn

Like the chalk on the book cover or like chalk on a sidewalk from an old game of hop-scotch, the writing is still there. The memory of the emotionally-charged characters and the well-written event is still with me. This Is Where It Ends is an unforgettable dark-themed story from beginning to end.

I truly have no other words for this review other than to recommend This Is Where It Ends for young mature high-school and college students. If Columbine didn't directly affect you or you're too young to remember it, then maybe this novel will help bring the problem of school shootings to the forefront. Hopefully spending one sitting—cause that is really all it will take—reading this novel will bring awareness. Treat the classmate sitting next to you with respect. Stay bonded with your siblings. Younger generations, do not feel alone.

April 5, 2016

"We choose to believe that the Slow News Sisters are real, if only they would reveal themselves." ~ 77%

Sisters Cassie and Sid have not kept in touch must as they would like to. Life takes different turns; Sid lives a life of leisure in Singapore while Cassie is an iPhone-clutching wife and mom to twin toddlers in Manhattan. Their lives are so opposite. So the sisters decide to keep in touch the old-fashioned way through handwritten letters.

The pen pal experiment is going well until it becomes very public. In an effort to save the letters, Cassie gets the bright idea to scan and store them on a private blog. You guessed it—the worst thing that can happen, happens. The sisters' highs and lows of life are published online in error. EEK!

I loved that the main characters were sisters with a close relationship. Even more so, I adored them handwriting and snail-mailing letters like true pen pals. Keep Me Posted is a good concept for a funny debut novel. But overall the story was just okay.

Happy Pub Day, Lisa Beazley! Keep Me Posted is available today.Disclaimer: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are honestly my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.